


Short Stories

by Adoredra



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-12-07 19:23:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11630253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adoredra/pseuds/Adoredra
Summary: Short Story. AU. Action. Pairing irrelevant. Mature for language and slight violence.Rather than (attempting and later quitting) writing long stories, I have decided to just write short stories that hit the big points. These short stories will have no porn, smut, etc. That will be reserved for a different work.





	Short Stories

Naruto, age 12

“I am gonna become the best Hokage ever, believe it!” 

Naruto, age 16

A spray of red mist arced in the air. Naruto slid his kunai from one neck to the other. He dashed forward to the next human being that wore the wrong headband-protector or wore the wrong color shirt. Lifeblood drenched around him. Blots of foreign blood speckled his whiskered face. 

Naruto leaned his body to the side as a fireball raced across the battlefield. Lightning streaked, water flowed, and mud rose. A flat plain soon turned into geological bedlamb. Chakras of all natures rushed and raced. Steel in all shapes and sizes flurried. All for the sole purpose of death who gained followers from both sides.

His eyes made contact. Without even allowing his mind time to process the ocular stimulus, Naruto dashed. In a crash of blades, Naruto danced. Soon more blades pushed back, and Naruto summoned his clones. The one-on-one fight turned into a little war of its own. Wind-chakra blades howled in the madness.

A long-steel blade ripped through Naruto’s torso. Puffs of chakra smoke popped across the battle-within-the-battle. Naruto dropped his kunai and gripped the blade weakly. His knees collapsed. The blade lifted tearing his flesh and innards.

Naruto’s feet kicked helplessly in the air. Naruto’s body started to split upon itself due to gravity. The Leaf ninja paused their onslaught and went upon the defensive. Sensing the halt, the Earth ninja ceased their advance. All watched as a young, blonde ninja coughed blood and scratched at the blade that held him up like a trophy.

The Earth ninja laughed as the Leaf troops began to back up, still facing forward. One of the senior leaders of the assault recognized the emotion in their eyes. Fear. He looked to the boy and frowned in consternation. 

In an earthshattering boom, red lines of bubbling chakra ripped through the blade’s owner. A long red swipe tore flesh and bones and muscle. Blood drenched the air in arcs. With another boom, another, different swipe revolved around Naruto turning grown men into two with vaporized torsos. And then another grew and whipped madly across the battlefield. 

The boy’s wound closed, but his skin flaked off in a macabre reconstruction of a human being. The boy’s face, no longer human, but red and fox-like, roared. Dust rushed across the hellish landscape in all directions. Three red tails waved menacingly in the sky. Without warning, the fox-creature charged the nearby Earth troops. 

Seeking a moment of glory, an ambitious Leaf commander yelled, “Charge! For Leaf! For Fire!”

In the madness of the moment, the Leaf troops diverged into two pincer forces. Attacking the sides, they both avoided their own mad soldier and attacked the Earth troops lucky enough to escape it. For the first time in three months, the Leaf were on the advance. 

Naruto, age 20

“Do you understand the charges being pressed against you?” the highest ranking ninja judge in Leaf asked. Long retired, the judge suffered from male-pattern baldness and the remaining hair were wisps of white. His severe demeanor looked down from his tall podium. 

“I do,” Naruto responded. He sat on a long bench that nearly traversed the width of the whole, giant room. With a tall ceiling, Konoha banners and pictures of great heroes littered the walls. Behind him, a crowd of high-ranking Leaf and Fire officials sat on hardwood pews. To both sides, even more high-ranking officials occupied tiered pews.

Beside the chief judge sat two other equally old and stern judges. One of them asked, “These charges carry much weight. Do you refute them?”

“No,” Naruto said. His voice was crisp. Although he did not raise his voice or modify his tone, Naruto’s answer traveled clearly through the room.

The third judge began to become visibly upset, “You have abandoned Leaf. You have abandoned Fire at a most crucial time. This war was about to be at an end. And. And, you just, what, quit?”

“Yes,” Naruto replied.

“Do you have any explanation for yourself as to this treason?” the judge continued.

“The punishment for cowardice on the field of battle is death. The punishment for evading the call of duty is death. The punishment for insubordination is death. The punishment for the promotion of subversive elements is death. The punishment for association with treason is death. The punishment for treason is death. Be done with this charade,” Naruto said. “And end it.”

“It is so,” the chief judge said. “And you admit to these charges.”

“One and all,” Naruto responded. “Even the ones that have yet to be invented.”

“Are you suggesting that you have not committed these actions?” the second judge asked harshly.

“What I am suggesting, nay, what I am saying is that I wish to be done with this wretched world,” Naruto said with heat in his voice for the first time. “What I am saying is that the crimes against humanity that I have personally committed for this miserable regime of dictators, toadies, and power-hungry thieves is at an end. I shall no longer wash my hands of the blood of their victims who all suffer because of disdainful greed. 

“What I call for is an end to this senseless butcher. What I call for today is a vote of no confidence against Shimura Danzo and his puppets!

“His evil clouds this great Village. I have lived with the Kyuubi inside me my whole life, yet my senses have never been as assaulted by pure wretchedness as being in the mere presence of such a vile creature. His smell taints the air around him. His sight revolts. His touch wilts. His voice poisons. 

“He is nothing more than a leech who sucks the life of those around him and afar for his own personal ambition and power, and I denounce him. I denounce him. “

By now, the chief judge was banging his gavel shouting for order. The clamor in the grand courtroom had yet to recede. Meanwhile, Danzo, who was sitting in one of the raised pews surrounded by lackeys, maintained a perfect demeanor. 

Naruto pushed his chair back and stood up, “And I demand the vote now. This tragedy must end today.”

The room went silent as Danzo rose from his seat, “There shall be no vote. Leaf will either ascend or will not be at all. You have grown too cocky, boy. Neither this world nor this Village revolves around you. This war will be won without you. In fact, it will be won quicker without your insubordination and your slanderous defeatism.”

“Old fool,” Naruto sneered. “This slaughter is already over. Your petty schemes and treachery have been up-Rooted. The light of knowledge has pierced through your machinated ignorance and obfuscation. No longer will this world be threatened with ash for your vainglory.”

Danzo flicked his finger to the side. Immediately, Leaf ninja dashed towards Naruto. Naruto smirked as he exploded into bright red light. Danzo returned the smirk as his restraints collapsed on the elevated floor of the pew. Young and old clashed.

Naruto, later that year

Naruto laden in traditional Hokage robes sat at a half-circle dark-wood table. Sitting at the apex of the circle, Naruto eyes remained glued upon the Land of Iron mediator, a legendary swordsman. Meanwhile, the Kage of Earth continued his harangue against the invasive atrocities committed by Leaf in their unjustified war of aggression. 

Oonoki paid special attention to the atrocities committed by Naruto in service of the Leaf war machine. According to Oonoki, Naruto should be hanged as a war criminal along with the entirety of the Leaf’s leadership, counsel, and high-level officials. At long last, Oonoki finished.

Then, because somehow everyone needed to be involved, the Kage of Cloud inserted his speech in, what Naruto believed, to be an attempt to make the whole conference about him. Naruto, in fact, admired and liked Ae. Not so much right now though. 

Next, the female Kage of Mist gave her speech against the evils that can be committed by a Kage from her own personal experience. Of course, she mentioned that the Kage was a young demon-vessel, which coincidentally included Naruto of Leaf and Gaara of Sand. Then, in a twist, she mentioned that the appropriate action for a Kage who has lost his or her legitimacy to be removed from the inner ranks.

Gaara, after assassinating his father, had recently risen to rule the Sands of Wind. His speech did not offer much than as a complete and scathing rebuke of his predecessor and father. Gaara then extended the preaching to elders who have damned their progeny for their own wrong beliefs. 

Mifune, the samurai mediator, coughed and nodded his head towards Naruto, “Hokage-dono, if you may.”

“Thank you Mifune-dono. Thank you all for attending. As the many communiqués over the past few months have established, as Hokage, I offer terms of peace. White peace. Thank you for your time,” Naruto said. “That is all.”

The other Kages looked at each other briefly expecting a longer speech before Oonoki spoke, “You think you can wage war for four years for a white peace? Have you lost your mind? Something must be offered to make amends.”

“I apologize if my offer of returning the Elemental Nations to peace and prosperity is not enough, but it is all my meager and humble being can give,” Naruto retorted. “Please excuse my lacking.”

Ae guffawed, “Peace is meaningless to ninja. Nothing more than a time to lick wounds and gather strength.”

“I refuse to accept a treaty where a foreign nation invades my lands, loses, and then expects white peace. It is madness just to think such a thing!” Oonoki continued. 

Naruto chuckled, “Madness, neh? Let me tell what is going to happen if you reject this offer. I will go back to Leaf. I will send a message to every lord of every land in the known world that Leaf has stopped, the war is over, and peace has finally come once more to these lands. And then, a month later I will send another letter to all the same lords that Leaf is under attack by Earth.

And, listen closely, because this is the best part. I am going to send every bloodthirsty and jingoistic ninja I have to the front with a capture-preference order. I will then round up every one of your ninja I can, and I will record a video of me torturing them. Then, I will send the video to everyone in the Village Hidden in the Earth. And then for the Earth ninjas I capture after that I will send a ransom note. Of course, with a memento of some sort. Have to keep it fresh in the memory after all.

“The whole time I will be spending every last effort to worsen the war exhaustion of your forces, civilian and ninja alike. I will make sure that the only reason that those ninja have suffered so cruelly is because of you, Oonoki. Because of you.

“It gets better. At the same time, I am going to initiating the largest social and progressive movement in the known world in Leaf. Every mother will have free healthcare. Every child from birth to sixteen will be completely provided for. Food, drink, shelter, education, healthcare, everything. I will of course make the known world is aware of this. 

“I will begin the largest research projects between the sciences and chakra. I will have the largest advancements in healthcare. Leaf will be the shining beacon of what mankind can truly achieve when chakra is spent to make humans better than as a weapon of war. All the while, you will be the one seeking to return to the old ways, old man, of using chakra to kill rather than heal.

“Also, I will engage the whole world in trade. Goods shall flow from Wind to Water to Lightning to Iron. Everywhere but Earth. Commerce shall thrive. Trade shall thrive. Production shall thrive. Taxation shall thrive. I will be entering into research and production agreements. I will be spending my resources making the world a better place, while you will be making it worse. 

“That is what is going to happen. But let me making something very clear. You see. I look back on the war now, and I have come to another sullen conclusion. Not quite as profound as the one that inspired me to kill Danzo, but near it. At least in sight. And that is that Earth did absolutely nothing.

“Let me explain. For every blood spilt, every life lost, every orphan created, what did Earth accomplish? All the brain power and sweat that your Village could produce went to the war, and what is there to show? Rugged defensive maneuvers? 

“In fact, it could be argued that the only good Earth did to end this war is being massacred and still having more people to massacre. You see. It was me massacring your people that made me realize the error of my ways, drenched in the blood of your people. It enlightened me, and through that enlightenment, I single-handedly ended a four-year war within about an hour.

“So, as you see Oonoki, white peace is offered. White peace will be accepted. White peace shall be had. So tell me Oonoki, will you join this new world that I shall bring or will you and your people be forever lost in the shadows of ignorance and hatred.”

“Brat! You think that the world will be made in your image? What hubris!” Ae shouted.

“I have always respected you, Ae, and I still respect you deeply. That being said, the age of chakra being used as a weapon is over. Chakra will be the tool to prosperity. A golden age for the entire world to flourish. Join this new world or be cast aside to the footnotes of history,” Naruto responded.

Gaara spoke softly, “I shall join you, Naruto. This war and wars past have led to nothing. I want more for my people than nothing.”

Naruto smirked. Of course, Naruto had been the one to aid Gaara in assassinating his father. On a professional level, Naruto respected the previous Kage of Wind for his tireless pursuit to do what he believed to be right. On a personal level, Naruto absolutely hated the fucker for what he did to his youngest son and wife. 

Either way, Naruto, over the course of the war, had travelled to Wind many a time. There he quickly bonded with Gaara. Although Gaara remained bloodthirsty as ever, he toned down a little. Naruto liked to think that work kept him busy. And who worked harder than a Kage?

Mei tapped her painted fingernails against her soft checks, “Oh my, oh my. Such youthful lads joined together for such a noble quest. How inspiring. It is a new dawn in the Land of Water and the Village of Mist, and I have seen enough blood and brutality in my lifetime. I shall join in this adventure as well.”

Naruto simply said, “Thank you.” 

Of course, everyone in the room knew it was because Mist did not have the manpower or the quality of troops to wage any war other than a defensive one on their islands. But Cloud had been amassing troops for years now. The troops had led everyone to be nervous, but clearly not enough in Naruto’s opinion.

“To cement this relationship to last an eternity, I propose the following for Leaf, Sand, and Mist: a non-aggression pact, a trade agreement, military access, permanent embassies, and a defensive pact. Over time, relationships will improve to the level where research projects can take place to put our individually vast knowledge as to chakra to more productive means,” Naruto proposed.

“I concur,” Gaara said softly.

Mei practically purred at the thought of a defensive alliance and said, “You make a good deal, boy. I accept.”

Naruto then turned to other two Kages, “What say you, Ae? What say you, Oonoki? The future is here. You just have to say the words.”

Ae guffawed, “Absolutely not. The only thing that matters in this world is strength. This ‘alliance’ will fall. You shall turn on each other before I can even lift a finger. I have no intention in making my Village weaker for a fool’s dream.”

“You shall have your white peace, boy,” Oonoki stated harshly, “but nothing else.”

Naruto shrugged, “As autonomous governments, you all have the right to self-determination. I merely regret that my skills of persuasion are so pitiful that even offering so much, I am rejected so quickly. I hope that one day, you will join us as friends rather than enemies with blades ready to strike. Honestly, though, it’s too tiring and pointless. We have waged war for the Fourth time, and literally nothing has come of it other than a better understanding of misery, death, and the depths of human depravity.” 

Naruto, age 32

Naruto, in casual clothes, pushed his daughter on the swing set. His oldest, and only son, was complaining that he was too old at the age of 13 to be playing with his younger sister. The public park had kids and parents running around without a care in the world.

A smile graced Naruto’s lips. He coughed without opening his mouth. The scent of blood filled the inside of his mouth. He brought back his smile, but his eyes silently cried. 

Naruto, age 36

“To be honest, Hokage-sama,” the doctor said, “I am surprised you have lived as long as you have. Your use of the Nine-Tail’s chakra has had permanent and lasting effects. I’m afraid that it is not reversible. Or treatable. Your cells have simply aged too much.”

Naruto, shirtless, listened to the doctor talk. A tear built up in the corner of his eye. He blinked it away. 

The doctor continued, “In short, your use of the Nine-Tails during the Fourth War took, quite literally, decades from your life.”

Naruto could not stop from getting angry. He bunched his face and his fists. The idea that someone as despicable, wretched, and utterly worthless as Danzo Shimura costing him more than half of his life infuriated Naruto. 

The idea that it had all been wasted for so little, if anything, enraged Naruto. The idea that he could not spend his years with his children and grandchildren broke his heart. He could not stop the tears now. He loved his family. He loved his job. He loved his Village. He loved the world he created, but Danzo Shimura from the grave would be stealing him away from it all.  
Then the idea that Danzo Shimura lived to the age of 80 as a vile man who poisoned all around him broke Naruto’s mind. 

Naruto, age 41

Naruto remained in his bed. Doctors and nurses flurried about the room. IVs and monitors seemingly connected to all parts of Naruto’s being. Blood filled his mouth again. He spit it to the side. Another monitor went off, and even more doctors filled the room. 

“Enough,” Naruto said quietly. The doctors paused. “Get my family. Get my friends. Get my advisors. Get my allies. Get my enemies. If I am going out, then I want everyone to know. So. Do whatever you have to get me a month or two.”

“But, sir, we would have to sacrifice the remaining months of your life to make you, ehm, presentable, and even then,” the head doctor of Leaf hedged.

“My legacy will not be undone because of the fucking Nine-Tails, and it sure as hell will not be undone because of Danzo fucking Shimura. So, let me repeat myself again with the few words I have left in my life, get it fucking done,” Naruto said baring his bloodstained teeth.

Naruto, two months later

Naruto remained in his bed. The bed set him upright with giant pillows. An IV supplied all the delicious painkillers a man could want with his insides literally dying on him. His blood filtered through a machine to the side. Doctors had glowing mint hands keeping him in a constant state of not-dying. 

His hand clutched his wife’s. His children and grandchildren crowded the bed around him. Each dealt with the sadness in their own way. Some hidden, some subtle, and some not-so-subtle. Some understood. Some did not. 

Naruto smiled into the sunlight. He tried to push away the sadness of a life stolen from him. Of potential, unfulfilled. He, instead, looked to all of his accomplishments. To love. To friendship. He looked upon his works and tears of happiness welled in his eyes. 

“I love you all, so very much,” Naruto said with a firm voice for the first time in nearly three years. “I am so very, very proud of each and every single one of you. I love. I love you. I love. I love you all. I-“

“We know, papa. We know,” his youngest daughter of four said, hugging her bedridden father. 

As his already huddled family closed in around him, Naruto’s smile stretched his face. His eyes softened. He felt consciousness tugging at him, but he refused to release such warmth, such love, such happiness. Like water flowing into water, Naruto drifted into the stream of consciousness, until, at long last, but yet too early, Naruto let go of himself into its alluring waters.


End file.
